Vientiane
(AsiaNews / Agencies) - The series of dams being planned along the Mekong
river, if built in the near future, are likely to harm fishing and irreparably distort
the distribution of land. The
ten plants for the production of electricity along the main river could
threaten the survival of tens of millions of people - in Laos, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam - who rely on fishing (for proteins contained in meat) and
agriculture for the supply of
food and their livelihood. These
are the findings of a joint study prepared by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Australian National University, recently reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Among
the major causes of alarm is the continuation of the construction of the
Xayaburi dam in Lao territory, in spite of the decision taken by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Mekong River (MRC) calling for a halt to
construction, in view of more in depth studies and analysis.
According
to the original plans, by 2030 there will be 11 stations on the main bed of the
river and 77 others throughout the basin affected by its waters, which are home
- for now - to at least 850 different species of fish. It
is one of the most complex and delicate environmental ecosystems. If
the plans for the construction of 11 dams are completed, the study reveals,
fish will be reduced by 16% and losses will amount to around 500 million dollars
per year, a figure that implies collapse of about 38% if all 88 will be built for the fishing
industry.
With
regard to the land, over 24 thousand square miles will be needed to complete
the projects; land that was previously used for sheep farming, the demand for
water for agriculture and livestock - it is no longer possible to go fishing -
will suffer variables increases of 6 to 17%.
However,
the final cost for two poor nations such as Cambodia and Laos will be much
higher.
The
WWF calls on the nations of the lower Mekong to postpone any decision relating
to the construction of dams for at least 10 years, to allow new, more detailed
studies. Experts
also suggest - if necessary - to build power plants on the tributaries of the
river, in order to reduce the environmental impact. In
recent days, the Cambodian government has created an area of 180 km along the
river where fishing is prohibited, to protect the ecosystem of freshwater
dolphin, a species threatened with extinction.